Gilbert’s first responder class free
By Tara Garcia Mathewson
It was 7 a.m. when Carol Ronan noticed her dog was having a severe allergic reaction to something. Windy, a young lab, was a pup in distress and thankfully, Ronan knew what to do.
Training as a member of Gilberts’ citizen emergency response team meant Ronan, 60, stayed calm and reached for Benadryl. One of the topics in the eight-week training course for prospective CERT members is about emergency care for pets. Ronan learned Benadryl was an option as well as the appropriate dosage.
“I knew what to do,” Ronan said. “Even if she did stop breathing, I knew what I would need to do.”
Windy was fine and Ronan now carries an epi pen for emergencies.
CERT training equips residents with skills to handle disaster situations, but as Gilberts has yet to experience one, Ronan’s main application of her skills has been on Windy. The team has been mobilized for traffic control multiple times as well.
Key skills Ronan points to are her ability to turn off power, gas or water in an emergency, perform first aid, CPR or rescue breathing and identify victims’ injuries and the necessary treatment.
All of that information and more is available to residents interested in taking the classes.
Gilberts Trustee Patricia Mierisch is the coordinator of the local CERT branch, which came from a national homeland security initiative. She helped found the Citizen Corps Council to bring together fire, police and citizens for training.
The council qualifies Gilberts for grants and has brought in more than $15,00 in the past two years. Ronan said that money has gone toward classes, equipment and outreach.
“It gives us a lot more ability to continue the program and expand on what we’ve begun,” Ronan said.
The group is looking into purchasing a small trailer with this year’s grant money to make the team portable. Now the equipment is housed on village property on Industrial Drive. Radios compatible with Gilberts police and fire equipment and vests with emergency response materials are previous purchases with the federal funds.
The team’s training allows members to fill in the holes of an official response. Ronan said when first responders are stressed from a disaster, most likely a tornado in this area, the team can be there to help.
“There’s always the National Guard that can get called out but that can be a day or two,” Ronan said. “This is one way to get more people out there to help.”
The eight-week training is offered free with various workshops throughout the year to CERT members.
For more information about the program and to get involved in upcoming training sessions, call the Gilberts village hall at (847) 428-2861 and leave a message for Mierisch.